Look! Resolution Calls On Congress To Admit Drug War Failures

Times are changing, and one representative is taking to Congress regarding the failed War On Drugs. Today the word comes down that Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives that acknowledges the war on drugs has failed. House Resolution 933 was filed on Tuesday, with more than two dozen additional Representatives adding their names as sponsors. In a press release, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman stated: “The War on Drugs didn’t just fail to stem the damage of addiction, its very declaration failed to meet the values of equality and justice our nation was founded on.”

The release added “Congress has rightly decided to tackle the opioid epidemic with evidence-based policies that seek to solve the issue of addiction. But for years, we criminalized addiction in ways that caused irreparable harm not just to users, but their families, neighborhoods, and communities. As we offer up funding and resources to address the disease of addiction among overwhelmingly White users, we must acknowledge our failures to do the same with victims of color.” The resolution details racial bias and propaganda that fueled drug prohibition, while also noting racial and political motives behind President Richard Nixon’s policies.

The resolution also calls for changes in drug policy and its creation in the future. It goes on to seek treatment of addiction as a health issue, supporting a review of War on Drugs-era laws and replacing them with evidence-based statutes. Give us your thoughts on the news below and stay tuned for much more on this coming very soon.